Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage

I was surprised to see reviews about the student massages. The time for a review was the feedback form they asked you to complete. Also, even though you see reviews about a student, they’ve probably already graduated and moved on. They are there trying to learn what to do and what not to do during these student massages. Massage school taught me that as a consumer, I am allowed to speak up while I’m on the table and indicate what I like or don’t like receiving.
As far as a school goes, the instruction given enabled me to pass the national exam and start my massage career with my own company, just one month after graduation. They want you to succeed and are willing to assist you along the way and even after you graduate.
If you are looking for continuing education, they offer a wide variety of classes too!
I loved my experience & CE classes and would do it all over again!

Before I review the school as a student of massage I want to address the clinic that the other reviewers are talking about.
These are student massages! If you want a professional. Pay for it. :-) its a lower price bc of that reason exactly. Some students are better than others and clinic is a way to practice the techniques we learn in class.
I am a business owner and also a constant student (holistic nutrition, languages Etc) so I have a good comparison from schools to school and also teacher to teacher.
If you feel you want to become a massage therapist, go here! Trust! They have been around 7 – 8 years and the staff has been consistent. Anyone who goes to different schools knows that if there is a constant turnover of teacher there is something wrong. The teachers and staff here are amazing! They really care about what they do and take incredible pride and work into giving the students the best experience so that we can learn in our personal learning style. They really work with individuals. Deal with «issues» or complaints immediately and follow through. I was super impressed at how they sealed with certain issues that had come up. It is just so rare for schools to really CARE about the actual education and also happiness of students. You learn massage therapy and also so much more!
They offer a 6 month intensive program if you prefer that it’s awesome. I know other schools can be 1 – 2 years and I personally didn’t have patience for that.
Mike the owner is always there and super involves. It feels great that we can express any concerns or make suggestions.
I personally had the chance to be taught by several Of their teachers and all of them give such a great perspective and they are top notch. Yvonne, Tara,
Monique, Judy, And Lori :-)
After I graduate in about a month I plan to come back to receive student massages :-)
Ps. You often see past students come back and visit. That is sweet too :-) I never felt I would that at any school I studied at before. It’s just awesome y’all. Haha

Was impressed by this place and the price. As others say, cash only. They were great though and really cared about making the experience calming and listening to me on any problem areas. After the lady gave me a debrief and some take homes to help. For the price there isn’t much better. The massage quality was amazing, but you must expect a small curtained off, but totally relaxing, space. This is not massage envy luxury; however, I prefer it because they are focused on you and improving their technique.

**Real Star Rating: 3.5**
$ 35 for a massage is a steal in this area.
The Good:
CHEAP! Yes, the masseuses are students, so don’t expect the best massage, but for the money it is pretty damn good. I liked for the same price you can have either a swedish or deep tissue. I was a little disappointed in my «deep tissue» massage, simply because it wasn’t that deep, but as a Swedish massage it was very good.
Great Service: I was really pleased with the gal who handled my appointment. I called on a Saturday to see the soonest I could get in, after browsing the calendar she managed to squeeze me into a time slot the next day!
The Bad:
Only available on Wednesday. They used to offer a Sunday appointment, but it is no longer available. The Wednesday only makes it a bit tougher to get an appointment that fits my schedule.

I had Maria, and she was such a sweetheart. Loved her pressure, and she was so accommodating and made me relax, I wonder why I couldn’t have double-​booked! It’s a whole body massage, focusing on your most stressed points. I’ve never had a stomach massage, but that was just so awesome! Luckily for me, I had a room to myself, but usually, you’re grouped together in a room with curtain dividers. Loved that it was $ 35! Remember, they only accept cash, and don’t forget to bring tip!
+ask for Maria! :D
+student clinic prices!

I guess u get what u paid for n what i paid for was mediocre, i had call my usuall place n they was book was i was like let me try something new n sometimes student learning t proffecion they preaty good not mines itwas horrible no pressure at all n my main problem was my neck n i know i was not t only problem who was not happy cus i heard another client saying about he needed more pressure. Its upseting that sometimes people giving reviews they may b friends

I can’t fathom how this place got such good reviews?! It was awful, I don’t even really know where to start. It’s a school so there are a bunch of kids running around HOWEVER they are not remotely professional at all. They gossip about the people they just massaged. It’s extremely loud, as loud as a train station or subway stop in there so relaxing is out of the question. They don’t even bother closing the door between the front door and the massage room. There is no privacy when changing at all the screen are see-​through and have large gaps between them. The room was on fire, it was so hot in there. No fans, no a/​c nothing. My massage only lasted 45 min NOT 1 hour or 50 min like most massages. The massage itself was bad, I was asked what my trouble areas where then they never worked on them and the knee/​ankle massage was odd. The next day I had knee pain which I never have. They then hand you a comment card while they are staring at you to fill it out, how can you possible be honest? Then the hand for a tip? WORST place ever, not even worth $ 35. It was stressful. I literally left with more stress than I came with. With that being said they are students and I felt bad for them so I way overtipped but I tipped because I remember what it’s like to be a poor student I did not tip for the service provided. Worst part? My back is STILL broken out from whatever oils/​creams they used, weeks later!!!

I found out about this place by accident, when I was in the building for another business. I thought, «awesome a cheap massage». I had been to a similar student massage school in Los Angeles, so I knew somewhat what to expect. They have you fill out a review after the massage to rate the student. The guy I got (forgot his name) was professional and nice enough, but definitely still need to hone his skills. He wasn’t as fluid in movement. Pressure was okay for the most part, he did ask how much pressure I wanted applied. There was a lack of communication from him and the front desk about the review process. They have you fill out the health questionnaire and pay up front, which makes it easy. When the massage is done, the therapist left the room (which by the way is really only a separate curtain area, not an enclosed room) so I could get dressed. I figured, okay, I just go back out front to do the review. Well, no, they have another area in the back of the room where more students hand you a clip board and a cup of water. They should explain the full process when you initially check in for the massage. Pay, health questions, massage, wait for therapist to return and escort you to back, (tip therapist is you feel so inclined), complete review. And about tipping, I asked two different people, «where do I leave a gratuity» they looked at me confused, until I finally used the word tip. I was trying to clarify if the tip gets left at the front desk or given directly to the massage therapist. (It’s the latter) I may go back and give it another try, we’ll see.

Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage is a hidden gem in the heart of Falls Church. For $ 35 they give «student» massages where graduating massage students give hour long massages. Having treated myself to a lot of massages over the last year (probably 1 – 2 a month) I’ve had a lot of massage therapists. Some good, some bad but Stacey, my therapist from yesterday was AMAZING. The amount of pressure was great and all the movements were fluid. I was expecting a crappy massage and got instead one of the best massages i’ve ever had. So great in fact that I called back to get another only to find out that she’s graduating. My boyfriend also had a massage at the school by Tonnie I think and he also enjoyed it. Best $ 35 i’ve ever spent!

What a great find! Unable to find any foot reflexology places in the area, this was the next best thing. $ 35 (CASH ONLY!) is a freakin’ steal.
I booked appointments for 3 people, and Mike wanted to make sure we would all be there. (Maybe they’ve had problems with no-​shows in the past.) I assured him we would and he got us all set to go. The day of the massage, we enter the office and it’s a bit chaotic. We were greeted, asked to fill out a form (mostly health questions and areas to work on), and were immediately greeted by our respective massage therapist.
Each of us had our own experience. For my part, I’d give the experience 3.5 stars. My therapist was attentive to my needs, I pointed out a knot that needed to be taken care of. Great fluid movements and pressure to my liking. It would have been nice if more focus was put on the hands and feet. [For example, one foot was massaged, but not the other.] The rest of the group had 4– & 5-​star experiences. The 5-​star therapist really found all the right spots and worked on the areas that ached most. He was so good that we asked if we could request him the next time, but we were told that we can’t. Boo.
As with most massage places, the biggest variable is the massage therapist. In this case, it’s a crap shoot on who you get, but I think the key is that you emphasize clearly where your problem areas are and address any prior or current health conditions. That will ensure you get the type of experience you want.

The massage was good (especially for the great price!). However, you can only pay with cash. I didn’t realize this and that caused a bit of an ordeal and a delay.
The atmosphere is not spa-​like. But, as a school that offers this service as part of their students’ education, I didn’t really expect it to be. Even so, the massage studio area was a bit skimpy on dividers – I definitely saw/​was seen by a naked man as I was standing up to get dressed. Luckily, it wasn’t too traumatic, haha.
If you’re a student (like me) and you’re dying for a massage, but can’t really fork over much, I’d definitely suggest this! Consider it students helping students :)

I spent a great deal of time researching all of the local massage schools. This school was by far the most transparent. Everything I was told from the get go turned out to be true.
The price was far less than the other schools in the region. The faculty and staff couldn’t have been better. When I graduated, they sent out my resume and helped me find a great job.

I was desperate to find a good cheap place to get a massage in the DC area, when I came across the reviews for NoVA School of Therapeutic Massage. Both reviews sounded very positive so I went to give it a shot. Im VERY glad I did!
Its located in a nondescript office building in Falls Church, where parking is readily available, street parking and a parking lot for the building. You take the elevator to the 3^rd floor, and when you walk in you are greeted by a friendly young person at the front desk. You fill out a quick questionnaire and then you are taken back to the massage room. I believe they have one large massage room, that is divided into apprx 6 sections with room dividers. They have tranquil music playing and overall it is a very quiet and relaxing atmosphere. They give you the option to take off or leave on as much as you want, which is nice. All the students that I saw seemed very nice and professional, always asking if you were comfortable, if there was something you needed or wanted done.
Overall it was very relaxing and definitely well worth the $ 35 for a full hour! They only perform massages on Wednesdays and Sundays, and I think you have to call ahead and have an appointment, and its cash only, dont forget!
Dont know what else to say about this place besides the fact that I think its going to become part of my new monthly routine! great deal, great people, great service!
maybe they can branch out and open a school in the district next!
ps thank you Julie and Hannah for writing your reviews, I would never have thought about going to this place if I hadnt read your reviews!

I’ve had many great massages at Northern Virginia of Therapeutic Massage. The Staff is super friendly and calming. I always leave feeling relaxed and recharged! My wife is a big fan too!

Who doesn’t like a good massage? If you just said, «I don’t» … you’re a liar or else you’ve never had a good massage. If it’s the latter, head over to the Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage and you’ll have an amazing experience.
Student clinics are run every Wednesday. You get an hour massage (relaxing, therapeutic, deep tissue, etc.) for $ 35. You read that right … $ 35! Make sure to hit the ATM before you go, though, because they only accept cash.
Call Mike, the president, to schedule an appointment. He’s extremely nice on the phone and in person. He’ll even call you the night before your appointment to remind you of the address and your time slot.
Once you get there, you fill out a short medical history form and meet your massage therapist. You go into a room with four faux massage rooms that have been created using screens. There is relaxing music playing and sound machines … you can’t hear the people next to you. You then take off as little or as much as you want to and get your massage. My therapist was Kim, btw, and she was ca-​razy fantastic.
Bottom Line … Thank you, Hannah Y., for submitting your review. You’ve made my life a little more complete because I plan to go to the student clinic at least once a month :-D